Today is the last day to vote in NetSquared's "Mashup Challenge". There are 122 projects in the running, all of which merge data in new and interesting ways to work towards social change.

You have to vote for at least five and no more than ten projects.  To get you started, take a look at my three favorites: Mapping the Media Change Movement by the fabulous folks at the Media and Democracy Coalition, My Polling Place, and MAPLight.org: Mapping Money and Politics. 

If you think these or any of the other projects on the NetSquared site are worthy of winning $100,000, go vote before 5pm pacific time today!  The voting process is a tad complicated, but I know the nonprofits that are competing for the prize money will appreciate you taking the time to help them out.

Last week, we asked you to vote on which video Common Cause should submit to CNN & YouTube for their Republican presidential debate.  

Now it's time to announce the winner!

Second runner up, with 21.3% of the vote is Josh Zaharoff.
First runner up, with 33.1% of the vote is yours truly, Dawn Iype.

And our winner, with 45.6% of the vote is Bob Edgar.  
Congrats Bob!  

And many thanks to all of you who voted.

Common Cause is planning to submit a question about public financing of campaigns to the CNN/YouTube debate coming up on November 25.  But we need your help to choose the best question!  Please watch the video, then cast your vote for your favorite question.

Thanks!  We'll announce the winner on Monday, November 19.



Vote now!

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) announced way back in 2003 that it planned to hold a hearing on media localism in Washington DC. Why did it take Chairman Kevin Martin & Co. so long to get this hearing scheduled? Probably because they knew that the media reformers in this town wouldn't let the hearing simply happen in quiet, behind closed doors. You gotta give the FCC credit for trying -- they only gave us 6 days notice, and they held the hearing at 9am when most folks have to be at work or at school.

But none of that stopped us from holding a great rally outside the FCC's HQ this morning. Check out this video of our friends from the Prometheus Radio Project performing at the rally:



There were also more serious (and excellent) speeches from folks like Rev. Jesse Jackson, Kim Gandy -- the president of the National Organization for Women and Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton. Check the Common Cause website for pictures from the event.

And if you want to help us stop the FCC from allowing more media consolidation and more media monopolies, please go to www.commoncause.org/StopTheFCCPlan, and let your friends know about this issue too.

I've been working for reform groups in DC for more than 10 years, so I've been to my share of rallies, marches and protests. But I'll never forget the day in early 2000 when Granny D came to town as part of her long march across the country for campaign finance reform.

It wasn't just the miles she'd walked or her common sense wisdom that impressed me. It was her hope, her resiliency and her faith in the goodness of this country. At age 89 (then) she was still fighting to stop corruption and to make government work better for the people.

In 2001, we passed sweeping campaign finance reform -- a victory that had to be especially sweet for Granny D. But she didn't stop there. Three years later, she decided to run for the Senate from her home state of New Hampshire. HBO has just released a documentary about her campaign called "Run, Granny, Run." Here's a clip:

I'm no movie critic, but I found the documentary to be funny, touching and inspiring. And if it doesn't make an activist out of you, I don't know what will.

What's on your mind?

Good news to wrap up this week:  President Bush today signed into law the most important ethics and lobby reform package since Watergate.  Hurrah!

Common Cause activists made all the difference in this fight.  You generated tens of thousands of letters, emails and phone calls to the Hill demanding reform.  And today, you got it.  We can't thank you enough for all you do for our democracy.

Listen to what some Congressional leaders had to say:

Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi:  "Reformers made this happen! ...I want to thank the reform groups for their relentless persistence and leadership, their willingness to work together to help pound this out."

Senator Barack Obama:  "This bill was passed in large part due to the activists who have been on the front lines of reform and I want to thank them for their outstanding work."

Congressman Chris Van Hollen: "I want to give a very special thank you to the public interest community."

Congrats to everyone who worked so hard on this new law.  

Today is Attorney General Alberto Gonzales' last day of work. However you feel about the way he acted (me: very angry), I think we can all agree that the next Attorney General needs to be a person of character who can rise above the scandal and restore integrity at the DOJ.

From the New York Times' editorial board:
And speaking of persons with integrity and character, today is also the last day of work for Jon Goldin-Dubois, Common Cause's Executive Vice President. He's an incredible leader and friend, and after his 10 years of service here, we'll miss him tremendously.

To Jon: all the best. To Mr. Gonzales: Well, I can't quite recall what the appropriate sentiment should be.